Episode 21: When the Levee Breaks
by Ivy Milligan-Winchester
Summary: Sam is overcome with demonic bloodlust, as Dean battles his feelings and Ivy tries to forget Cass, without success.


"Why did you really drink the demon blood, Sam?" Dean asked.  
"Leave me alone." Sam replied, face pouring with sweat, tears, and blood from his own body.

Dean sat upstairs, hands over his face, listening to Sam converse with an unseen, unheard nobody. Suddenly he had an idea.  
"What about Ivy?" He asked Bobby.

Dean dialed Ivy's number with shaking fingers, and held the phone to his ear with trembling hands. Finally, on the seventh ring, Ivy answered.

"Hello?"

Dean got right to the point. "Ivy, Sam's hurt. Bobby's. Now."

Ivy paused. "Demon blood?" she asked.

Dean shouted now. "Hurry!"

It seemed like hours later when the door was opened and Ivy walked in. Well, more like tripped in. She was running, and she slipped on the doormat as she entered the house. Catching herself just in time, she dusted herself off and, without any hesitation whatsoever, bolted down the basement stairs without even glancing at the two speechless men.

Dean whistled. "She's hot."

Bobby slapped him in the back of the head.

Meanwhile, Ivy unbolted the panic room door, and made for the bed Sam was chained to, walking slowly, treading carefully now. She went to Sam's side, noticing that the cot was soaking in sweat. To say Sam didn't look well was an understatement. His face was pale and his eyes were screwed shut, as if not wanting to see anyone. She laid a hand on his clammy forehead, and brushed down his hair.

"Sammy?" she asked.

"Don't call me that!" Sam shouted, straining to escape his chains. He threw himself forwards with so much force that Ivy had to jump back, or collide with Sam's head.

Ivy talked to him gently, as a mother would. "Sam? Sam? Can you read me? It's Ivy."

Sam opened his feverish, bloodshot eyes and looked at her. Suddenly he turned away, shoulders shaking with sobs. "What's happening to me, Ivy?" He asked her in a rough voice.

Ivy blinked back tears. "We want you to get better, Sam." She said softly. "We're only trying to help."

But, once again, Ivy's soothing words brought on a burst of anger from Sam. "This is helping me? Tying me up in this hellhole?" Sam shouted now. "Let me kill Lilith! Let me help! I don't deserve to be here!" His voice dropped. "I don't."

Ivy lay a hand on his chest, but he shied away. "Don't touch me." He mumbled.

Ivy, knowing she could say and do no more for Sam, got up to go. However, as she stood, she heard a small, strange sound, almost unrecognizable. But after a few seconds of listening to it, it was clear. It was chalk, writing upon the ground outside of the panic room. Suddenly, Sam's chains unlocked silently. Sam shakily stood, not even looking at Ivy, the girl who would have sacrificed everything for him, and walked up to the door as she stood in stunned panic. The door swung open, the demon seals and devil's traps simultaneously breaking. Sam looked out of the door, and then bolted up the stairs as fast as his shaking body could carry him.

Ivy ran to warn Dean and Bobby, but the door closed before her, and she heard light, catlike footsteps up to the door. The small slit of a window slid open to reveal Castiel's tortured, mourning face.

"Castiel." Ivy hissed in fury. "Let. Me. Out."

Suddenly, the angel disappeared and after a second reappeared in the cell with her.

Cass bent his head low. "I'm truly sorry." he said in a low voice.

Ivy turned away, and then turned around again.

She knew he'd be gone.

Ivy pounded on the door, but to no avail. Castiel had really locked her in. And to think that she could have felt something for that—that _demon_. Ivy slid down until she was sitting in the middle of the room. She hugged her knees, and tried to fall asleep.

The next morning, Dean came downstairs and unlocked the heavy door. She ran out, looking around. She noticed chalk drawings near the door, breaking the devil's traps. Dean noticed too, but Ivy knew he couldn't possibly guess who...

Dean looked at her. "Who do you think busted out Sam?"

Ivy shrugged. "Another demon?" she said, with a phony look of puzzlement.

Dean nodded. "Probably Ruby. I'm going to kill that crazy-ass demonic bitch."

Ivy looked away, face burning with heat. Finally, she changed the subject.

"Where's Bobby?" she asked.

Dean motioned up the stairs. "Resting." He said simply.

When she got to the first floor, the first thing Ivy saw was Bobby, sitting in a chair by his desk, holding an icepack to his head. She ran to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Bobby looked at Ivy. "Yep! Just knocked out with the butt of my own gun which, I might add, was the work of your demon buddy."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Yep, you're okay." She said.

Dean smiled for what felt like the first time in ages, but his face became serious again as Bobby asked, "How the hell did he get out?"

Ivy answered immediately. "Ruby."

Dean narrowed his eyes, looking at Ivy. Something didn't seem right with her. She answered too quickly, and seemed _very _eager to change the subject.

"Well, we need to find him." Bobby said.

Dean sat down at the laptop as Ivy looked at some maps.

Later on, Dean and Ivy found themselves driving down a long stretch of road, going to a small town where Sam could be staying.

Getting to their designated search ground, a small hotel, Dean and Ivy split up, her taking the bottom floors, Dean taking the top.

Dean looked around. An elevator whirred softly in the background, but Dean wasn't paying attention to that. He had caught a glimpse of a dark-haired someone in the Honeymoon Suite, the door of which was open a small crack. Going over to the door, he opened it softly, and saw Ruby sitting on the bed. Dean raised Sam's knife and stalked over to her, but before he could stab she whirled, grabbing his arm just in time. They scuffled for a few minutes, until Dean raised his arm and brought it down aimed at Ruby's chest.

His hand was stopped by Sam, who had come up behind Dean. Ruby shrank back behind Sam, then ran straight out of the door. Dean stood to face his brother, wiping sweat off of his brow.

Meanwhile, Ivy was down on the lower floors, silently checking rooms. Suddenly, she heard a rush of air from behind her. She turned, knowing full well who it was.

Castiel faced her with an expression of deep grief on his face. "Ivy, I'm sorry." He said.

Ivy looked at him coldly. "You came here just to tell me that?"

Castiel tilted his head to one side. "Well, what else was I supposed to come for?"

"Oh. My. God." Ivy replied.

"What?"

"You flew back here just to apologize!" Ivy said.

Castiel just looked at her. "Isn't that enough?"

Ivy's eyes filled with tears. "You just don't get it, do you?" she asked him.

Castiel's eyes stayed blue and unemotional.

"I—You—" Ivy seemed to be having trouble talking. Finally, she pulled herself together.

"I work for good, Castiel. You're now under the command of Zachariah! What am I supposed to do? Screw everyone for your sake? Sam? Dean? Just so you can toy with me, while at the same time bringing Armageddon upon us? And then you fly here and say sorry, and you think that's enough?!"

Ivy shook her head. "I—I can't…just…"

Castiel's eyes filled with tears now as well. "I didn't have a choice to _not_ serve Zachariah. Don't you understand? Can't you see?"

Ivy closed her eyes, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I can see." She whispered.

"I can see that you're a selfish, cowardly angel who ruins the lives of others. And I know that I can't give you my love." Ivy paused for a moment. "I can't give my love to one who takes it away from others."

Castiel nodded, crying now as well. "Goodbye." He choked out.

Ivy waited until the dust and wind had settled, and then climbed the stairs to the top floor, on which was the Honeymoon Suite. She noticed that that one door was open, and when she heard a groan from inside she ran through it. Dean was lying on the floor, mouth and forehead bleeding. He took a gasping breath, and Ivy knelt beside him and put a hand on his chest. Dean gritted his teeth, whimpering, and Ivy sighed.

"A couple broken ribs, Dean." Ivy said. "What did this to you?"

"S—S—Sam." Dean choked.

Ivy gasped. "Brother against brother." She murmured. "It really is Armageddon."

Suddenly, a strange wind whipped through the room, and Castiel appeared, knelt next to Dean. He didn't look at Ivy, but instead lay a hand on Dean's chest and murmured a spell. Dean moaned as his ribs knitted together. When done, Castiel got up and walked to the other side of the room. He wiped his streaming eyes, and looked back at Ivy quickly. His eyes had more pain and sadness in them then she had ever seen before. He was gone in an instant, and Ivy covered her mouth with her hand, shaking with sobs.

**FOLLOW TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN IVY AND CASTIEL!**


End file.
